Leising Hopes Cursive Writing Becomes Mandatory Again

State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) sponsored a bill that would mandate cursive to be taught in schools.
State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) sponsored a bill that would mandate cursive to be taught in schools.

A recent proposal by Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) to bring back cursive writing in schools was approved at the Statehouse.

Since 2011, the Indiana Department of Education no longer requires cursive writing in schools in favor of keyboard use.

Leising has explored the issue with child psychologists. “The say that children that are not taught cursive, that are not taught to connect letters from left to right, are missing out on cognitive learning and brain development,” Leising said.

“That is a learned behavior, we do not automatically know to read from left to right.”

Leising has said she is not opposed to keyboard use, but hopes to see each school corporation in Indiana offer cursive. It is up to the individual if they want to use it, she explained.

“I make the similarity its probably like learning to ride a bike. After you have been taught cursive, you will know how to do it. Its up to you if you want to use it.

Leising has authored similar bills in the past two years that passed by the full Senate but not the in the House.

The bill now will go back to the full Senate.